Jack Ma was a cash-strapped Chinese entrepreneur and former English teacher when he convinced friends to give him $60,000 to start a Chinese e-commerce firm called Alibaba in 1999. Almost two decades later, Alibaba is an Internet juggernaut and Ma is among the world's richest men with a net worth of more than $40 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
In a surprising move last month, the company's chairman has announced that he would step down from his role to devote his time to philanthropy focused on education.
He will retire from the post of executive chairman of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. in September 2019. His retirement as executive chairman will coincide with his 55th birthday.
Once an English teacher in China, Jack Ma found his way to becoming one of the most successful businessman in the world through hard work and sheer will.
His life story is indeed an inspiration to all those who want to succeed in life. Take a tour through his life here:
